LEESBURG, Fla. – The Allegheny softball team kicked off competition at the 2022 Spring Games in Florida Saturday (March 19) as they took on Kalamazoo and Wisconsin Stevens Point.
Game One - Kalamazoo 5, Allegheny 4
Kalamazoo got off to a fast start in game one, scoring four runs in the opening inning.
Paige Ziggas (Beaver, Pa./Beaver Area) led off the bottom of the frame with a single to right field. After moving up to second on a
Hadley Horensky (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Seton LaSalle Catholic) sacrifice bunt, a double to deep center field by
Cameron Long (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) put the Gators on the board.
After the Hornets added a run in the fourth, the Gators threatened in the fifth. However, with two runners on and one out, Kalamazoo was able to get out of the jam unscathed.
Long had her second double of the game in the sixth. After moving to third on an
Isabelle Wakefield (Sicklerville, N.J./Timber Creek) single, Long advanced across the plate as the Hornets tried to catch Wakefield stealing second, cutting the lead to 5-2.
In the seventh,
Sofia Genareo (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern Central) hit her second single of the game to lead it off.
Audrey Blarr (Clarence, N.Y./Clarence) entered as a pinch runner and was driven in by a Ziggas single, shrinking the lead to two. Horensky followed with an infield single which moved Ziggas around to third.
Joplin Osgood (Coudersport, Pa./Coudersport) brought Ziggas home on a fielder's choice, making it a one-run game. However, the Gators were unable to plate another run as the comeback fell short.
In relief,
Samantha Dzierba (Colden, N.Y./Orchard Park) struck out three while allowing just five hits over 6.2 innings.
Game Two - Wisconsin Stevens Point 4, Allegheny 2
All four of the Pointers' runs came in the bottom of the first.
The Gators got on the board in the sixth. Blarr doubled down the right-field line and came home on a Long single to right field.
After a double play orchestrated by right fielder
Maley Gleason (Houston, Texas/Westside) in the top of the seventh, the Gators attempted their second seventh inning comeback of the day.
Olivia Devries (Kent, Ohio/Field) earned a walk to start the inning.
Kaylin Tang (Vienna, Va./South Lakes) entered as a pinch runner and was driven in by a Genareo double to right center. However, the Pointers were able to procure the final two outs and secure the win.
Genareo led the Gators with two hits and a RBI while Long had the second RBI.
Aleya Belardinelli (Melbourne, Fla./West Shore) tallied five strikeouts and allowed just one earned run.
The Gators will continue play Sunday (March 20) when they play Keuka and Gustavus Adolphus.
